A senior journalist was hospitalized after being assaulted while covering a BJP protest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Wednesday, following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Rakesh Sharma, a reporter for Dainik Jagran, was attacked at Kalibari Chowk while documenting the protest led by BJP legislators Devinder Manyal, Rajiv Jasrotia, and Bharat Bhushan. The assault has sparked strong condemnation from journalistic circles, with calls for an FIR against the accused.
A video of the incident, showing the assault on Sharma, has gone viral on social media, further fueling outrage. Sharma claimed that while he was covering the protest, a BJP activist named Himanshu Sharma accused the journalists of speaking the “separatist language” for questioning the security situation—specifically regarding the infiltration of terrorists into Kathua and the Pahalgam attack. Despite the peaceful tone from BJP leaders, the situation escalated when Sharma and other journalists were confronted by a group of party supporters, including Himanshu Sharma, Ravinder Singh, Ashwani Sharma, Manjit Singh, Tony, and Parveen Chuna, who then physically attacked Sharma in full public view.
The assault was interrupted by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravinder Singh, who helped Sharma get medical attention at the Government Medical College hospital. Following the incident, a group of senior journalists met with the Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shobhit Saxena, demanding immediate action, including the filing of an FIR and the arrest of those responsible.
In response to the assault, journalists in Kathua staged a protest, donning black bands, and announced a boycott of all BJP programs until action is taken against the perpetrators. Solidarity protests were also held outside the press club in Jammu.
The Pradesh Congress Committee strongly condemned the attack, calling it a direct assault on the press’s right to question security issues in the wake of rising terror attacks. PCC spokesperson Ravinder Sharma demanded an apology from BJP president J.P. Nadda and swift action against the accused. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists in the region and the growing intolerance toward critical questions.
